Why does the signature builder reject my phone number when it is correct?
Because the tool does not just print the number; it turns it into a call link a customer can tap on a phone. So once spaces, dashes, dots and brackets are removed, what is left must be 3 to 20 Western digits (0 to 9), with a + at the start if you want one. Arabic-Indic digits, an extension, or a label such as 'Mobile:' in front of the number all make the field fail.
What the tool does with the number
When you type into the Phone field of the Email signature builder, the tool first strips the usual separators: spaces, non-breaking spaces, dashes, dots and brackets. It then checks that only digits remain, between 3 and 20 of them, with an optional leading +. If that passes, the number appears in the signature exactly as you typed it, with a tel: link behind it that has no separators. If it fails, you see 'The phone number must be 3 to 20 digits, optionally starting with +.', and no signature is built until you fix it.
Real results from the tool
- +966 50 123 4567 is accepted and becomes tel:+966501234567.
- (050) 123-4567 is accepted and becomes tel:0501234567, because brackets and dashes are separators.
- 050.123.4567 is accepted too, with the same link tel:0501234567.
- 800 123 4567 is accepted and becomes tel:8001234567.
- ٠٥٠١٢٣٤٥٦٧ in Arabic-Indic digits is rejected, even though the number itself is right.
- +966 50 123 4567 ext 12 is rejected because of the word ext and the extension.
- Two numbers in one field, such as 0501234567/0551234567, are rejected, because a slash is not an accepted separator.
How to fix each case
- If your number is in Arabic-Indic digits, convert it to Western digits with the Arabic/Persian/Western digit converter and paste the result. Call links need Western digits.
- If you have an internal extension, put only the main number in the field. Mention the extension in the address line or leave it for the conversation.
- If you have two numbers, put the second in the 'Second phone' field; it gets its own line and its own call link.
- Remove any word before the number, such as 'Mobile:' or 'WhatsApp:'. The field is for the number alone.
Once corrected, the error clears straight away and the preview comes back. Tap the number in the preview on your phone if you want to confirm the link opens the dialler.
Should the number be in international format?
If any of your customers call from outside Saudi Arabia or the UAE, the international form with + and the country code is clearer, because the link opens on the recipient's phone wherever they are. The tool never adds a country code for you or reorders digits; what you type is what shows. Spaces you put between digit groups stay in the visible text and make it easier to read, and are removed only from the link.
Common questions
Can I type Arabic-Indic digits so they show that way in the signature?
Not in the phone field, which needs Western digits to build the call link. You could put them in the address line as plain text, but then the number is no longer tappable.
Is there a length limit on what I type?
The field takes up to 32 characters including spaces, and the check requires 3 to 20 digits once separators are removed.